This invention relates to a one pot synthesis of benzofurans. The simplest benzofuran has the empirical formula C.sub.8 H.sub.6 O, and is also from time to time referred to as coumarone. It is a bicyclic ring compound derived from coal-tar naptha and is the parent substance of coumarone-indene resins. It has the following structure: ##STR1##
These coumarone or benzofuran compounds are known to be useful for a wide variety of purposes. Amongst those are use in the perfume industry, in agriculture and horticulture as growth enhancers, and in some instances some of the coumarones are known to be physiologically active.
Past processes have involved complex multi-step synthesis to afford relatively low yields of compound. Thus, for the most part, industrial preparation of these as pure compounds has not been without difficulty.
It therefore can be seen that there is a continuing need for the development of processes, particularly one-step processes of preparing benzofurans so that they may be conveniently used for their known purposes.
It is a primary objective of the present invention to fulfill this need by an improved one-pot process for the preparation of benzofurans.
It is a further object of the present invention to prepare 3-methyl benzofuran.
The method and manner of accomplishing each of the above objectives, as well as others, will become apparent from the detailed description of the invention which follows.